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Chapter 6: Gastrointestinal System

Annie Burke-Doe

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCE

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract serves to transport food and absorb nutrients to sustain life. The main functions of the GI tract include the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of waste.* Pathologic conditions affecting the GI system result from the impairment of these functions. Malignancies in the GI tract, specifically the colon, are common conditions that affect this system. The most common signs and symptoms associated with GI disease include the following: (1) chest and/or abdominal pain, (2) disturbances in food ingestion (possibly due to vomiting, nausea, difficulty or painful swallowing, or anorexia),1 (3) alteration in bowel movements (constipation or diarrhea), and (4) bleeding in the GI tract. The anatomy of the GI system is shown in Figure 6–1. Table 6–1 summarizes the selected GI pathologies discussed in this chapter. Table 6–2 identifies organs associated with abdominal quadrants.

FIGURE 6–1

Gastrointestinal system. (Reproduced with permission from Ash R, Morton DA, Scott SA. The Big Picture: Histology. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2013. Figure 12–1A.)

A diagram of the structure of the gastrointestinal tract.
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TABLE 6–1Selected gastrointestinal pathologies.
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TABLE 6–1 Selected gastrointestinal pathologies.

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

  • Gastroenteritis

  • Diverticular disease

  • Appendicitis

  • Pancreatitis

  • Pancreatic cancer

  • Crohn’s disease

  • Colorectal cancer
TABLE 6–2Organs associated with abdominal quadrants.
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TABLE 6–2 Organs associated with abdominal quadrants.
Right Abdominal Quadrants Left Abdominal Quadrants

Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)

RUQ extends from the median plane, superior to the transumbilical plane

  • Liver

  • Gallbladder

  • Pancreas (head)

  • Right suprarenal gland

  • Right kidney (upper lobe)

  • Ascending colon (distal)

  • Hepatic flexure

  • Transverse colon (proximal)

Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)

LUQ extends from the median plane, superior to the transumbilical plane

  • Liver (left lobe)

  • Pancreas (body and tail)

  • Left suprarenal gland

  • Left kidney (upper lobe)

  • Descending colon (proximal)

  • Splenic flexure

  • Transverse colon (distal)

Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)

RLQ extends from the median plane, inferior to the transumbilical plane

Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)

LLQ extends from the median plane, inferior to the transumbilical plane

  • Right kidney (lower lobe)

  • Cecum

  • Appendix

  • Most of the ileum

  • Ascending colon (proximal)

  • Right uterine tube

  • Right ovary

  • Right ureter

  • Uterus (if enlarged)

  • Urinary bladder (if full)

  • Left kidney (lower lobe)

  • Most of the jejunum

  • Descending colon

  • Sigmoid colon

  • Left uterine tube

  • Left ovary

  • Left ureter

  • Uterus (if enlarged)

  • Urinary bladder (if full)

Reproduced with permission from Hankin MH, Morse DE, Bennett-Clarke CA: Clinical Anatomy: A Case Study Approach. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2013. Table 3.4.1.

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High-Yield Terms to Learn
Borborygmi High-pitched bowel sounds that may be due to hyperactivity of the intestines.
Crohn’s disease A chronic inflammatory disease affecting the distal portion of the ileum and the colon.
Diverticulosis versus diverticulitis Diverticulosis is a benign condition in which the ...

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